Although the poster, the trailer, and the merchandise (at least the stuff that didnt get recalled) all refer to it as just Wicked, the full onscreen title isactuallyWicked: Part I.The new film adaptsonly the first half of thehit stage musical thats been running atNew Yorks Gershwin Theatre for over 21 years. The momentjust before the closing credits in multiplexesis actually the show-stopping caper of the first act on Broadway. And like other Part 1s of recent years,Wickeddoes feel like half afilm extended to feature-length to turn one story into two ticket sales.Butwhata half a film. Other thanchoosing to turn one act of a play into its own 2.5 hour motion picture,the creators ofWicked did everything right. They faithfully reproduced theearworm Stephen Schwartzmusical numbers and assembled one hell of a cast to sing them. Director Jon M. Chu, a veteran of movie musicals, brings the songs to life with energetic choreography and bold visual choices, all of which match or in some cases exceed the Broadway Wickedsmemorable staging. The results should please fans of the show, and convert more than a few skeptics as well.WICKEDUniversalloading...READ MORE: The Worst Parts That Almost Ruin 15 Great MoviesThe films screenplay is like a Russian nesting doll of adaptations. It was written by Dana Fox and Winnie Holzman, the latter ofwhom wrote the book forWicked on Broadway. The play was based on a novel by Gregory Maguire which was a revisionist take on L. Frank Baums The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a little also drawn from1939sWizard of Ozfilm. InWicked, the Wicked Witch of the West (famously played in 1939sOzby Margaret Hamilton), isrevealed to bean idealistic young womannamed Elphaba (nowplayed by Cynthia Erivo), whose green skin marks her as an outsidereven within her own family.Sent to keep an eye on her paraplegic younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) while she studies at Shiz University, Elphaba and her untrained magic powers catch the eye of Headmistress Madame Morrible (an icy Michelle Yeoh), who takesElphaba under her wing and sticksher in a dorm room with the glamorous Glinda (Ariana Grande), who is everything Elphaba is not: Perky, popular, and exceedingly pink.Although the two young women take an instant dislike to one another, especially because Glinda easily snags the hunkiest boy in school (Jonathan Baileys dreamy but vapid Fiyero),by the time Elphaba begins to harness her full potential as a witch she and Glindaare thebest of friends, and they travel together to the Emerald City to meet the magical Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum,deploying all of his Jeff Goldblum-ness toconjure a suavely stammering Wizard).WICKEDUniversal Picturesloading...Every single one ofthose actors delivers in their roles, but Grande stands out as the MVP of an impressive ensemble. Glinda isnt an easy character to portray; shesWickedscomic relief andunexpected heart all rolled into one. She delights in superficiality andtreasures her deep relationship withElphaba above all else. Grande plays both sides of the characters transformation equally well, with a soaring voice,uncannycomic timing, and surprising warmth.Erivo looks stunning in green, and she has one of the most glorious voices on the planet; she delivers an especiallyjaw-droppingrendition of Elphabas I Want song, The Wizard and I. Buther soulful, tragic Elphaba sometimes struggles to hold the screen opposite Grandes bubbly and vivacious Glinda.Grandeswork inWickedis not a conventional star-making performance. For one thing, shes already a well-established star in multiple mediums. But it may well be amoviestar-making performance. Its definitely a movie-stealing performance.WICKEDUniversalloading...ButWicked is not just the Glinda show. The entire productionproceeds in careful harmony. The sets byproduction designer Nathan Crowley are grand and beautiful; bigger and better than anything you can see on Broadway. (Fiyeros mission statement of a number, Dancing Through Life, gets a relocated to an elaborate library filled with bookshelves shaped like massive spinning drums,which are utilized for some truly impressive flips, spins, and slides.) The choreography byChristopher Scott takes advantage of the nimble camerawork and themassive ensemble of dancers. And director Jon M. Chu capturesall that movement with a variety of different camera tricks and techniques. (The comic two-hander Loathing is filled with clever split screens; One Short Day deploys a series of long-take POV shots to tour the elaborate Emerald City set and its dancing denizens.) Its a beautiful production thathonors the popular stage musical and blows it up to a blockbuster budget.If only the films runtime didnt get blown up too.Wickeds first act was already much longer than the second, and the film version, which clocks in at just under two and a half hours, is practically as long as the entire Broadway show. Newscenes, like an early encounter between Fiyeroand Elphaba, and a private training session between Elphaba and Madame Morrible, fill in some of the relationships that were perhaps abit sketchy in the fast-paced stage play. But theyre ultimately not needed, and only slow the film down.WICKEDUniversalloading...All of Wickedsbest moments are still the ones from the stage. There are a lot of those great moments, though; certainly more than I expected. When Erivos Elphaba hits the soaring high notes in Wickeds signature song, Defying Gravity, its enough to make you wish the wait for the second half of the film was only 15 minutes, instead of an entire year.Additional Thoughts:-Youve read my positive reaction to the film, as well my mild reservations about some aspects of the adaptation. But here I shouldnote that my two daughters, who love the Broadway musical, absolutely adored this movie. They did not care that it was only half of the story. They loved the new material. They said they would rather see the film again than the Broadway show. WatchingWickedwith them, seeing the delight on their faces every time I glanced in their direction, I had the distinct impression I was present at the moment they firstencountered one of the defining movies of their childhoods.-If youdo have kids, especially ones who like to sing, be warned: If you take them toWicked, youwill hear these songs over and over and over. Im writing this review after putting my girls to bed. As Im typing these words theyre both still awake; ones belting out Loathing and the other is singing The Wizard And I. Not sinceFrozen IIhas myhome been filled with so many strained high notes. Again: Take your children at your ears own peril. (Im mostly kidding. But also: Its a lot. And I just caught myself humming Loathing.)RATING: 7/10Famous Movies Featuring Once-Beloved Products That No Longer ExistThese movies now work as time capsules, capturing a time when these now-defunct products existed.